Student Appearance
POLICY
The primary responsibility for a student's attire resides with the student and the student’s parent(s).
The District is responsible for seeing that student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student, that student attire does not contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for any student, and that dress code implementation does not reinforce or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, household income, or body type/size.
Any restrictions to the way a student dresses must be necessary to support the overall educational goals of the school and must be consistent with this policy on student appearance.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
Conduct Expectations
1. All students should be able to dress comfortably for school and engage in the educational environment without fear of or actual unnecessary discipline or body shaming.
2. All students should be able to wear hairstyles to their liking, provided that faces remain visible.
3. All students and staff should understand that they are responsible for managing their own personal "distractions" without regulating individual students' clothing/self-expression.
4. Student dress code implementation should not result in unnecessary barriers to school attendance.
5. School staff should be trained annually and able to use body-positive language to explain the dress expectations and to address violations.
6. Teachers should focus on teaching without the burden of dress code implementation.
Clothing Expectations
1. Basic Principle. Certain body parts must be covered for all students at all times. Clothes must be worn in a way such that genitals, buttocks, and breasts, are fully covered with opaque fabric. Cleavage should not have coverage requirements. All items listed in the "must wear" and "may wear" categories below must meet this basic principle.
2. Must Wear: Students must wear, while following the basic principle of paragraph 1 above:
Clothing Expectations (cont.)
A. A shirt (with fabric in the front, back, and on the sides under the arms), and
B. Pants/jeans or the equivalent (for example, a skirt, sweatpants, leggings, a dress or shorts), and
C. Shoes.
3. May Wear: Students may wear, as long as these items do not violate paragraph 1 above: A. Religious headwear.
B. Fitted pants, including opaque leggings, yoga pants, and "skinny jeans."
C. Ripped jeans, as long as underwear and buttocks are not exposed.
D. Tank tops, including spaghetti straps; halter tops.
E. Athletic attire, including athleisure wear.
F. Visible waistbands on undergarments or visible straps on undergarments worn under other clothing (as long as this is done in a way that does not violate paragraph 1 above).
4. Cannot Wear: Students cannot wear: A. Clothing that depicts:
1) Violent language or images,
2) Images or language depicting drugs or alcohol (or any illegal item or
activity), or
3) Hate speech, profanity, or pornography.
B. Images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment based on any protected class or consistently marginalized groups.
C. Any clothing that reveals visible undergarments (visible waistbands and visible straps are allowed).
D. Swimsuits (except as required in class or athletic practice).
E. Accessories that could be considered dangerous or could be used as a weapon.
F. Any item that obscures the face or ears (except as a bona fide religious observance or for a verified health reason).
Implementation
To ensure effective and equitable implementation of this dress code, school staff shall enforce the dress code consistently using the requirements below. School administration and staff shall not have discretion to vary the requirements in ways that lead to discriminatory implementation.
1. Dress Correction. Students will only be removed from spaces, hallways, or classrooms as a result of a dress code violation as outlined in Sections 1 and 4 above. Students in violation of paragraphs 1 or 4 above will be provided three (3) options to be dressed more to code during the school day:
A. Students will be asked to put on their own alternative clothing, if already available at school, to be dressed more to code for the remainder of the day.
B. Students will be provided with temporary school clothing to be dressed more to code for the remainder of the day. (These supplied wardrobe items will be selected with the input of a student-directed committee.)
C. If necessary, students' parents may be called during the school day to bring alternative clothing for the student to wear for the remainder of the day.
2. Non-discrimination. No student should be affected by dress code implementation because of racial identity, sex assigned at birth, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, cultural or religious identity, household income, body size/type, or body maturity. This includes school staff not enforcing the school's dress code more strictly against transgender and gender nonconforming students than other students.
3. Body Displays. Students should not be required to display their body in front of others (students, parents, or staff) in school. This does not apply to body exposure necessary for changing into a class or athletic uniform, medical reasons or as part of a reasonable search for evidence of reported misconduct. Any search thought to require exposure of private body areas shall be referred to local law enforcement.
4. Shaming Prohibited. Students should not be shamed in front of others as related to their dress. Instead, dress correction should occur in private. "Shaming" includes, but is not limited to:
A. Kneeling or bending over to check attire fit;
B. Measuring straps or skirt length;
C. Asking students to account for their attire in the classroom or in hallways in front of others;
D. Calling out students in spaces, in hallways, or in classrooms about perceived dress code violations in front of others; in particular, directing students to correct sagged pants that do not expose the entire undergarment, or confronting students Implementation (cont.)
about visible bra straps, since visible waistbands and straps on undergarments are permitted; and,
E. Accusing students of "distracting" other students with their clothing.
Students who feel they have been subject to discriminatory implementation of the dress code are asked to report this to their school level administration, the Title IX/Nondiscrimination Coordinator, and/or the Office of Student Outreach. Any report of discrimination based on a legally protected category received by a building administrator or the Office of Student Outreach shall be shared with the Title IX/Non-discrimination Coordinator.
Loaning of Appropriate Clothing
Any clothing loaned to a student must be clean; of a reasonable size given the student’s height, weight and build; and otherwise comply with the terms of this policy. Loaned clothing should be returned to the Principal or designee the following day, clean and in good condition.
At the discretion of the Principal or designee, the parent may bring appropriate clothing to school for the student to change into in lieu of sending the student home or loaning the student clothing. The student shall wait in the school office until such time as the parent arrives with appropriate clothing.
|
Source:
|
105 ILCS 5/10-20.5
|
Rules
|
|
|
|
105 ILCS 5/10-22.25b
|
School Uniforms
|
|
|
|
105 ILCS 5/10-20.14
|
Student Discipline Policies
|
|
|
|
105 ILCS 5/24-24
|
Maintenance of Discipline
|
|
|
Cross Ref.:
|
|
|
5212
|
Grading
|
|
6020
|
Equal Educational Opportunity and Nondiscrimination
|
|
6021
|
Harassment of Students Prohibited
|
|
6040
|
Discipline of Students
|
|
6046
|
Bullying Prohibition
|
|
6047
|
Gang and Gang Related Activity
|
|
7140
|
Behavioral Intervention and Discipline
|
|
Adopted:
|
February 27, 1996
|
|
Reviewed & revised:
|
January 27, 2004
|
|
|
April 12, 2005
|
|
|
June 10, 2008
|
|
|
March 8, 2010
|
|
|
May 25, 2010
|
|
|
April 26, 2011
|
|
Technical changes:
|
May 27, 2014
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reviewed & revised: May 26, 2015
June 14, 2016
June 19, 2018
August 28, 2018
May 26, 2020